Hollywood Millionaires Can Waste Water, But Regular Folks Can’t

Since California Governor Jerry Brown imposed a mandatory 25 percent cut back on water consumption last year, urban customers and state authorities have successfully cut their water use by 31 percent.

However, even as California is facing one of the most severe droughts in living memory, many of Hollywood’s famous celebrities are acting as though the water crisis does not exist. While drought-stricken Californians clamor to conserve water, some wealthy movie and TV stars decide that they would rather pay the fine.

In the posh Beverly Hills, some Hollywood star mansions have lawns that are lush and green and fountains and pools that are bubbling away.

First on the list are the Kardashians. A helicopter survey showed how vibrantly green Kim and Kanye’s mansion grounds are while their neighbors’ lawns are turning brown. There’s no doubt that maintaining such healthy lawns in a desert climate would call for a fair amount of water.

Jennifer Lopez’s house also looks suspiciously lush and green compared to her water-starved neighbors. Other Hollywood elites notorious in wasting water despite the drought include Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner, the self-proclaimed environmentalist Barbra Streisand, British Formula One heiress Petra Ecclestone, and the infamous Wet Prince of Bel Air.

No one yet knows who this anonymous person is, but it has recently been reported that the water guzzler has used an astonishing 11.8 million gallons of water in just a single year! That’s about enough water to sustain nearly a hundred average households.

Appalled and furious, the water-conserving residents of California have taken to drought-shaming these people who profligate water use. Some residents also scour satellite maps and trace gutter flows in the neighborhood. One has even reportedly resorted to using a drone to identify the water hoggers.

But be of good cheer as a few big Hollywood names are claiming to be taking the drought situation in California seriously.

Cher and Julia Roberts are both known to have an impressive sprawl of greens. But in an effort to comply with the mandated water restrictions, Cher has planted indigenous palm trees and drought-resistant succulents in her lawn and backyard while Julia has switched to hardscape and native plants for hers.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Aniston has torn out her water-guzzling vanity vineyard and replaced it with wood and drought-resistant plant varieties to cut her water usage.

As for the rest of us who need to conserve for the greater good and our wallet’s sake but wants to keep a green lawn, using artificial grass might just be the solution that we need. Because it requires less maintenance, people can conserve as much as 70 percent by having synthetic grass installed in their lawns.

What steps have you taken to change your greenery and limit your water use?